Oatmeal, Carrot, and Apple Breakfast Squares

Sarah LaCasse and I worked on this recipe for weeks, testing version after version until the result was a perfect breakfast square. Packed into every sweet and wholesome square are 8 grams of protein, 20 percent of your daily requirement for fiber, 10 percent of your calcium, and over 100 percent of your vitamin A. Buttermilk keeps the cake tender, carrots and apples add moisture, and walnuts and coconut combine for a crunchy topping. This recipe makes enough to feed a dozen, and the squares stay fresh and delicious for days. And although we call these “breakfast squares,” you may like them best as an afternoon or late-night snack. --Myra Goodman, author, The Earthbound Cook

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

Place the oats, flour, flaxseeds, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Add the oat mixture to the buttermilk mixture, and stir to combine. Add the carrots and apples, and stir just until blended. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish.

Place the walnuts, coconut, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir to blend, and sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the batter.

Bake the squares until the batter has set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then cut into 12 pieces. (The squares can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.)

Excerpted from The Earthbound Cook, Copyright 2010, by Myra Goodman.
Used by permission of Workman Publishing Co., Inc. New York.
All Rights Reserved.